What is subtraction?

Definition
	Subtraction is a morphological process of modification that removes one or more segments from a root or stem.

Example (French)
	In French, the masculine form of adjectives is analyzed by some as being produced from the feminine form by the removal of a consonant, thereby exhibiting a process of consonant subtraction.

Generic
	A subtraction is a kind of
	What is modification?

Source
	Matthews 1991 142

Context for this page:

Concept module: subtraction
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): S
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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